As a kid, I participated in National History Day, and I loved the program – so much so that when My Big Helper neared middle school, I started researching to find out if she could participate as a homeschooler in North Carolina.
Happily, she can – and she just completed her third year of competition. In the few weeks since the final round ended, I’ve been reflecting on all that we’ve learned and experienced through this amazing program – and I feel the need to try to share them, even though I’m sure that words can’t begin to do justice to all that we feel.
My Big Helper began by creating an individual exhibit. She researched her topic, built her display, and made it to the state competition. She was afraid to compete that first year and even more scared of the required interview with the judges – but she did well, and it whet her appetite for more. Find out more about our thoughts about the program after that first year here.
Last year she pushed some of her own boundaries again. Though she had never before interviewed an adult, she did so – multiple times – both in person and over the phone. She learned how to write businesslike emails and letters, making requests for information and asking questions about facts she’d studied in a variety of sources, and she began to analyze information much more deeply. She chose to compete with a paper, and she learned to write her first research paper – and she competed with that paper at the national competition.
This year, her third year of competition, was very different from her first two. My Big Helper loved her experience at the University of Maryland for nationals last year, and she put all that she’s learned to work for her this year. She stepped up her game in a big way, and she went back to the national competition with her paper this year – and she placed in the top ten nationally. She also won the George Washington Leadership in History Prize.
It’s not about the winning – though that was so, so amazing – but everything. The National History Day organization does so very much to help both students and teachers along the way and to encourage critical thinking and strong research, that all participants will grow through the process, whether they win or not.
But now that My Big Helper has run across that huge stadium and accepted a medal around her neck, and I’m still finding myself crying at odd moments as I think about all that she has learned and seen, I want to share some of that with you. Perhaps you’re like the people in the county where we live, who have never heard of this program, or maybe you’re one of those teachers who could teach with it but doesn’t understand how to make it work. If that’s you, feel free to comment below with your questions and email and I’ll try to point you to resources that might help, because it’s so worth the time and effort.
Here’s a few benefits of participating in National History Day:
- You’ll learn exceptional research and analytical skills. My Big Helper’s research skills have changed dramatically. She can find anything now – research and journal texts online, obscure letters, from people long dead – anything. She ran to me the other day, excited because she’d confirmed a cool fact she’d found with a source on the CIA website. Who thinks to go there for information? She does. She’s a creative researcher, which means she can think outside the box. She also knows how to verify information. and vet sources.
- She’s learned to ‘take’ constructive criticism and evaluate it. I need to take lessons from her on this one. The first year, criticism from the judges nearly had her in tears – but after nationals this year, she read her judges’ forms and laughed. She was able to look at the comments objectively, see which ones were logical to her, and to see that others, while valuable in some cases, wouldn’t have fit with her personal objectives. She was able to look at them and see them for what they are – other people’s opinions – and understand that they only have as much value as she gives them. She also filed the information she deemed relevant away for future consideration.
- She’s learned to ‘defend’ her work. At each level of a National History Day competition, students interview with a panel of judges. It lasts for only a few moments, but it serves to give the students a way to lend their voice to their work beyond what their project shows. They can answer specific questions from the judges, and it also allows the judges to see how well the students know their topic. This process works much like a doctoral candidate sitting before their panel of professors, answering questions about the thesis s/he wrote. Most students are very nervous heading into this interview, even though the judges are typically very understanding and kind, and it’s hard to see them stressed. This is one thing that we’ve practiced hard his year; we’ve asked friends to practice with us for each level of competition, and My Big Helper has grown calmer with each round. This is great practice for job and college interviews, as well, and in conducting oneself professionally.
- She’s learned to speak to people from around the world. I don’t know about you, but it can be intimidating to speak to people you don’t know. At the national competition, however, the participants all trade buttons from their home, and it serves as a fantastic icebreaker for them. This year, we spoke to people from 49 states and four countries! (After learning how much fun the button trading was last year, she made this sash and trading bag prior to this year’s competition!)
- She’s learning to set academic and work goals for herself and what it will take to keep them. When My Big Helper first competed, I made mini-deadlines for her. I asked her to complete different parts of the process each week, spreading out the work so that she was learning steadily and not being overwhelmed at any one point. This year, when I tried to talk with her about some of those deadlines, I found that she had already set those dates for herself, and she worked to keep them throughout the process. She’s still learning, of course, but she knows now what it takes to write a good research paper and what it takes to compete with it, and she’s eager to be prepared.
- She’s attended tours and workshops all over Washington, D.C. One thing that the national program does very well is work with museums and organizations in Washington, D.C. for a program called NHDx (National History Day Explore). Students can apply for tickets to attend special events, often created just for them, and in some cases go behind the scenes in these museums. Last year, we attended a fantastic art workshop in the National Gallery of Art and toured the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This year, we attended a great workshop in the National Postal Museum and toured the Newseum. My Big Helper also contacted our congressman and was able to get a personal tour of the Capitol Building for our whole family. It was great! Yes, you could just go spend a few days there as a family and experience most of these same things; but the tours and workshops couldn’t have happened for us without the help of National History Day. I love seeing her face light up when someone mentions one of these places. You can see the instant recognition and special memories in her face!
- She’s learning her way around a college campus. The final round of the National History Day competition is held at the University of Maryland each year. Different events are held in different parts of campus, and we end up seeing a lot of it while we’re there. My Big Helper has always been good with maps, so it’s not learning her way around as much as not being intimidated by the academic atmosphere. For that week, she belongs there, and she knows it. In a few years, when she moves off to college for real, I think she’ll be more comfortable sooner than she would be otherwise. Being there won’t be such a big, scary deal – because she’s been on campuses before.
- My Big Helper’s confidence has increased. You can see that she’s more comfortable in her skin. She knows that she wants writing to have a part of her future life in some way, and while she’s still figuring out the rest, she’s happy to know that much. She’s learning her talents and gifts and seeing some of what she can do with them, and that is a good thing for anyone to know.
- The skills above are helping to transform her into a strong leader. The adults in her sphere recognize her as a hardworking, responsible teen, and she’s being offered other opportunities because she takes advantage of this one. For example, she’s teaching a class through 4-H later this summer about Revolutionary War spies, a topic related to her NHD paper. How cool is that?
There’s so much more I could say, but I need to end this list somewhere. But as a teacher-mom? It’s amazing to know that my kid has her national medal hanging in her room. It’s amazing to watch her dreams grow and be fulfilled and for new ones to bloom. It’s affirming to have someone else recognize the talent and wonderfulness I see in her. It’s amazing to see her ponder ideas for her next project already.
Should your student compete in National History Day?
YES.
National History Day is a non-profit educational program that works with students and teachers to promote historical research and analytical thinking. More than half a million students compete worldwide each year. For more information, visithttps://www.nhd.org/about.
